Drop-leg for extension-tables.



Patented July 4, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- Egge E. B. JONES.

DROP LEG FOR EXTENSION TABLES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1B. 1,914-

@MQ/M E. B. JONES. DROP LEG FOR EXTENSION TABLES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I8. I9I4.

Patented July 4, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- /77 /We s EUGENE B. J ONES, OF GRAND RAPLDS, MICHIGAN.

' DROP-LEG FOR EXTENSION-TABLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patent-ea .nay 4, 191e.

Application filed September 18, 1914. Serial No. 862,293.

To all whom t may 00m/em Be it known that l, EUGENE B. Joivns, a.citizen ofthe United States of America,

- residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan,have, invented certain new Vand useful Improvements in Drop-Legs forExtension-Tables; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full',

clear, and exact description of the inven-V tion, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to a drop leg for use in extension tables.

In extension tables having a central pedestal, a pair of top sectionsare mounted thereon for movement in opposite directions, the spacebetween said sectio-ns being filled with table leaves' or fillerstoextend and make larger the surface of the table top.

The present invention has for its object and purpose the provision of anauxiliary Support in the nature of a drop leg attached to the movableto-p sections and adapted to be turned downwardly in a verticalposition, the end of the support resting on the floor and helping tocarry the top section and whatever` may be placed thereupon.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an auxiliarysupporting leg of this type and character which can be folded againstthe underside of the movable top section and retained in substantiallyhorizontal position when not in use.

Furthermore in this invention it is designed that the means by which theleg is held in horizontal position and also means by which it is held inits vertical operative position, shall be accessible from the upper sideof the table when the top sections are moved apart whereby thesupporting leg may be moved to and from operative position and retainedin its position without the necessity of getting underneath the tabletop to operate the devices by'which the supporting leg is held in itsvarious positions.

The construction by which these objects and purposes are attained isshown in the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an extension table equipped with saiddrop leg, the table being shown in extended position. Fig. 2 is apartial sectional and side view of the drop leg and attached part whichis secured to one of the movable table top sections, it being in itsinoperative position. Figs. 3, 4

and 5 are perspective views of constructive details used in theinvention. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the table shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 1sa perspective view of the drop leg and tive position of said parts whenthe leg is 1n inoperative position.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughoutv theseveral views of the drawing.

In the embodiment of the invention as shown it is applied to anextension table having a central pedestal 1 to which are attached theside members 2 carrying the table top sections 3 which are movableoutwardly in the usual and well known manner of extension tables. To theunderside of each top section 3, a leg 4 is hingedly secured by means ofthe hinge 5 so that the leg may be turned horizontally as shown in Fig.l. Adjacent the lower end of each leg 4 on the inner'l face thereof, ametal strip 6 1s permanently secured having a right angular extension 7bent backwardly therefrom and spaced'a short distance from the side ofthe leg.

A brace 8 is pivotally secured to the side of the leg 4f, the plate 9attached to the side Vof the leg being used in forming said pivotalconnection. The free end of the brace is turned at right angles to themain body Y thereof as shown at 10, and in its under edge adjacent thefree end of said brace a notch 11 is formed as shown.

To the underside of each of the movable top sections 3 a U-shaped yoke12 is rigidly attached, a portion of the metal forming said yoke beingcut away at the bend thereof leaving a narrow strip of metal asindicated at 13 of a width sutlicient to be received in notch ll of thebrace 8 with which it is associated. Said brace 8 passes between thesides of the yoke and may be slidably moved back and forth between saidsides.

In the operative position of the legs as indicated in Fig. l the braces8 are shown as occupying a position substantially at an angle of thirtydegrees to the horizontal and free end of each brace has been carriedoutwardly far enough that .the notch 11 receives the reduced part 13 ofthe yoke 12, this serving to hold the leg in substantially rigidrela-tion to the table top. It will be noted that the laterally bent end10 of each edge of the top section 3 with which it is 60 the braceattached thereto showing the rela-` associated and that it is readilyaccessible for manual operation to disengage the brace from said reducedsection of the yoke. If at any time it is desired to fold a leg tosubstantially horizontal and inoperative position as indicated by dottedlinesrin Fig. l, the end of the brace is raised to detach it from theyoke and the leg may be drawn to horizontal position by force applied tothe brace, this taking place from above the table. The brace 8 passesthrough the yoke and Will, as the leg approaches horizontal position,lie substantially parallel With the leg, upon which the member 6heretofore described as attached adjacent the end of each leg may bepassed over said brace, it lying between the section 7 of said memberandy the side of the leg., thereby preventing the leg from dropping bygravity `as it would tend to do if such retaining means or itsequivalents ive're not used. It will also be noted that such retainingmeans is also readily accessible from above the table and that it may bereadily operated to disengage the leg from the brace and permit it toturn to operative vertical position. When the supporting leg is initshorizontal position, the top sections may be freely moved toward oraway from each other the same as if said leg formed no part of thetable, and the same is true when the leg is vertically positioned.

From the foregoing it Will be clear that I have provided ai constructionin drop leg for extension tables Which is especially etlicient in thatit is readily operative in either of its positions for movement to theother of said positions from above the top Without the necessity ofWorking from in under the table as has heretofore been the case withconstructions of this type. Said device may be varied in minor detailWithout departing from my invention Which is defined in the pendingclaim and all modifications of structure falling Within said claim areto be considered as comprehended Within the invention.

I claim:

In an extension table, a movable top section, a drop leg hinged to theunderside thereof, a brace pivoted to the leg, a U-sha-ped yoke securedto the underside of the top section inwardly of the point of connectionof the leg to said top section, said yoke slidably receiving the brace,and a strip attached to the leg below the point of attachment of thebrace and having an end bent parallel to and spaced from the side of theleg to Which the brace is attached, whereby the brace may be receivedbetween said end and side of the leg when the leg is turned tohorizontal position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.g

EUGENE B. JONES.

Vitnesses:

FRANK E. LIVERANCE, HOWARD H. YAR'RINGTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for nve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

